Last time I was in Florida, I was on a quest. See, I had never seen a Florida Scrub Jay and I was on a mission to find it. I was visiting my mom who lives near Tampa, so I went online and searched for every place near there where this bird had been sighted. [...]
English Ivy: Most Hated Plants
Think those ivy-covered towers are pretty? Unfortunately, English Ivy (Hedera helix) is one of the most pernicious, nasty, and destructive of the invasive plants because it not only destroys native habitat, it can also destroy your house. That is why I’ve added English Ivy to the Most Hated Plants list. We can thank some very [...]
Oriental Bittersweet on Most Hated Plants List
Every week, we discuss one of the “Most Hated” plants, plants that are so invasive and damaging to ecosystems that they should never be planted, let alone sold. Many of these plants were introduced into this country as ornamentals by the horticultural industry and have since escaped the garden and are running rampant through native [...]
Helping Wildlife with Specialized Habitat Needs in Your Ecosystem Garden
Many wildlife species are habitat specialists, which means they have very specific needs for habitat for their survival. It is these species that are most vulnerable to extinction, and many of them are already listed as threatened or endangered. Other species are generalists, and are able to survive in many habitats, even those dominated by [...]
Pollinator Conservation in Your Ecosystem Garden
The Pollinator Conservation Handbook, by The Xerces Society and The Bee Works, is a wonderful resource for all Ecosystem Gardeners to support native pollinators. Most of you have probably heard of Colony Collapse Disorder, a phenomenon where honey bees are dying off by the millions. A large part of our agricultural food supply is dependent [...]
Brazilian Pepper Tree on “Most Hated Plants” List
Last week when I wrote about Norway Maple being one of my “most hated” invasive plants, I posted this question on twitter: What’s your most-hated plant? Norway Maple tops my list. Tell me yours at: http://bit.ly/2Q2ih0 (@CB4wildlife) And I got this response from @Gr8RedApe: Brazilian Pepper Tree. Listen to the frustration this plant causes: @CB4wildlife [...]
Why Your Ecosystem Garden Matters, Even When We Already Have Protected Lands
I’ve been asked this question many times so I thought I’d answer it here so we can discuss it. “We have national and state parks, wildlife refuges, Nature Conservancy properties, and many others. Isn’t that enough?” In a word, no. Many national and state lands are subject to “multiple use” clauses, which may include logging, [...]
Creating Rest Stops for Migratory Birds in Your Ecosystem Garden
You know when you’re driving along the highway for hours and suddenly you have to find a rest stop RIGHT AWAY? Well, birds need rest stops, too! Imagine you’ve flown all night, heading south to your wintering grounds. In the pre-dawn light you know it’s time to land and rest and refuel. You’re TIRED. So [...]
Palmerton, PA sometimes Mother Nature Gets a Second Chance, Part 1
Palmerton, PA Imagine my surprise when, on the last full day of my vacation in the mountains of the Lehigh Valley in Eastern Pennsylvania, I discovered that the town in which I had been staying, Palmerton, PA, was the site of one of the largest EPA Superfund clean-up sites east of the Mississippi River. This [...]
Butterfly numbers plunge by 50 percent
Butterfly lovers have noticed an alarming trend–butterfly numbers are down over 50 percent this year. The North American Butterfly Association (NABA) has sponsored butterfly counts since 1992, and has noted significant drops in butterfly populations this year. Pat Sutton is a founding member of NABA and has participated in these counts since their inception. To [...]
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